Sparking device for internal-combustion engines.



PATENTED APR-. 9, 19Q7.

v F. W. BRADY. SIPARKING DEVICE FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 11, 1904;

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

witnesses,

No. 849,769. PATENTED APR. 9-, 1907.

i F. W. BRADY. 1 r

, SPARKING DEVICE FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 11, 1904. v

z SHEETS-SHEET -2.

Englewood, in the county To all 'whoin, it may concern:

FRANCIS W. BRADY, or EueLEWoon, NEW JERSEY.

SPAR-KING DEVICE FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent;

Patented April 9, 1907.

Application filed'hugnst 11,1904. Serial No. 220.380.

Be it known thatI, FRANCIS W.- BRADY, of of Bergen and State of NewJersey, acitlzen of the United States, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Sparking Devices for In-- ternal-CombustionEngines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relatesto electrical igniting devices for engines of theinternal-combustion type, and the object is to provide a simple,reliable, and durable device for the pur- 'pose,-as will be hereinafterdescribed.

' parts clearly. 5

.is the cam-sha t.

metal.

. In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate an embodiment of theinvention,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of an internal-' combustion engine providedwith the igniter, the lower portion of the engine being 111 section.This view, which is on a small scale, is mainly designed to illustratethe relation and application of the ignition device to--the engine. viewon a much larger scale, showing the Fig.3 is a plan View of the partsseen in Fig. 2.' Fig. 4' illustrates a slight modification, which willbe hereinafter described;

Referring'to Fig. 1, 1 is the bed late or base of the en inc. 2 isthemain s aft. 3 4 is the cylinder. 5 is the vaporizer, and 6 is thecombustion-chamber. These features relate to the present invention-onlyso far as to illustrate the application of the latter to an engine. i

Referring now to Fig. 2, 7 designates abushin set and fitting snugly ina bore in the wall 0? the-combustionchamber 6. This bushing willbe ofporcelain or other refractory insulating material and be provided withan external shoulder 8 to engage the It is held in place by a plate 9and screws 10. In this tubular bushing 7 is fitted a metal electrode 11,havin a shoul-' der at 12, fitting up to an interna shoulder on thebushing, and a reduced screw-threaded portion 11, which protrudesexteriorly from the bushing, and has nuts 13 to draw the electrodetightly up into the bushing.

Set in the wall of the combustion-chambei') at a right angle to the axisof the bushing 7 cur d y screws 15, Fig. 3, and in this bushing isslidably mounted. a metal electrode '16', having a shoulder at 17 anda'reduced extereiere'nce is a metal bushing 14;, se'

rior portion.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional detail the tubular bushing 14 is enlargedto form a housing-cup 18, and the bore in the bushing is also enlargedat its outer end to receive an externally-screw-threaded tubular nipple19, on which is screwed ,a nut 20, bored to form -a guide forthe'reduced portion of the electrode 16'and also to serve as anadjustable stop to engage. the shoulder 17 on the electrode and limitits movement outward. On the outer endof the electrode 16 is secured ahousing-cup 21 and between this cup and Theexterior part or head of thecup 18 is disposed a coiled rctractingspring '22,. which is normally.under some gomlpression and holds the electrode 16 drawn The electrode16 is so alined axially with respect to the electrode 11 that whenpressed in its tip will contact with said electrode 11, and the tips of.said electrodes, or, indeed, the whole of that portion of each electrodeexosed within the combustion-chamber, may e made of or covered with somenon-oxi dizable refractory conducting metal, such as platinum.

In Fig. 2, B designates diagrammatically any source of electricityasabattery, for, ,-exampleand c c conductors leading from the respectivepoles thereof to the electrodes 11 and 16. As theelectrode 11 isinsulated,

one of the conductors leads directly to said electrode at the nuts 13;but as the electrode 16 is not insulatedthe other conductor iselectrically connected with the metal wall of the combustion-chamberthrough a metal screw 8. Obviously when the metal electrode 16 ispressed in until its tip is in contact with the electrode 11 a currentof electricity will flow through the closed circuit thus established,and if the pressure on the electrode 16 be removed the spring 22 willretract said electrode and break the circuit, and a spark willbeproduced in the combustion-chamber 6 between the two electrodes at thebreak. I

It will be noted that the movable electrode is metallically mounted-thatis,

insulating material is not interposed between it and the walls of thecombustionchamber. -,Tl1e two electrodes are insulated from each otherby i1 isul aiing the stationary electrode. None oi the insulatingmaterials in common use are ad apied LO ail'ord a bearing-surface forthe moving electrode, and in insuiating it, as is now the practice, itis necessary to provide the insulating-bushing with expensive, and eveni then the insulation is liable to become broken Moreover,

a metallic lining, which is and the bearing become loose.

according to the present invention contact I with the movable electrodecan be made through the bearing nal of the electrical source to a wallof the combustion-chamber,and thus the necessity of securing anelectrical connection to the moving electrode and consequent wear of theconnection and hampering of the movement of the electrode are avoided.

cuit through the electrodes by pressing in the pin 16 will now bedescribed.

A rocker 23 has an upright arm so disposed as to take between cheeks 21.on the cap 21 and bear on the electrode 16 indirectly through acushion-spring 23 on said arm. This rocker turns about a fulcrum orpivot 24 and has an is engaged by a trip 26 on the end of an eccen-Iric-rod 27. This rod (see Fig. 1) has at its lower end a strap whichembraces an eccentric 28 on the cam-shaft 3 of the engine, and said rodis pivoted at 29 to a'vibratable link 30. The cam-shaft 3 is driven fromthe main to re turn the shaft of the engine by gearing in a well-knownway, not necessary to be herein described. As the eccentric 28 rotatesit imparts motion to the trip 26in an endless path of somewhat modifiedcircular form, causing the hook-like trip 26 to rise, move over, engagethe arm 25- of the rocker, draw it down, and operate the rocker so as tocause the upright arm of the latter to press the electrode 16 intocontact with the electrode 11, and then in its further moven1ent wipeoff from said arm, thus allowing the spring 22 to retract the electrode16, so as to produce the spark,- the rocker bein also returned to itsfirst position by sai spring.

The trip will be hardened, and the arm 25 of the rocker, which the tripengages, is provided with a hardened plate 31 to take the wear.

The operation is as follows: When the charge is compressed in thechamber of the engine and the piston of the engine is near the end ofits stroke, the trip engages the arm of the rocker 23 and throughthelatter presses the electrode 16 into contact with theelectrode 11. Asthe crank passes the center and the pistontis ready trip frees itselffrom the rocker and the spring 22 retracts the-electrode 16, thusbreaking the circuit and producing the ignit i ug-spark inlzhecombustion-chamber.

The cushion-spring 23 is to cushion the contact between the electrodes11 and 16. As the operation of the rocker is )ositive, it would bediiiicult to effect just the desired pressure of one electrode on theother to al- I second electrode by securing one termi- The meansemployed for closing the cir-.

operating-arm 2 which combustionways insurea contact and yet avoidinjury to the parts, and therefore a cushion is interposed between therocker-arm and the electrode 16. i

Fig 4 shows a construction of the head of the electrode 16, wherein thenut 20. forming the limiting-stop for the electrodes, screws directlyinto said head, the nipple omitted.

There is a suitable limiting-stop 32 back of the rocker-arm, Fig. 2, toarrest the backward movement of electrode 16 is retracted. 'Any form ofstop device may be employed for this purpose.

The electrodes 11 and 16 are terminals of the electric circuit, onebeing fixed and the other movable to make and break the circuit of whichthey form a part. I which need not be very considerable in extent, ispreferably produced by a longitudinal sliding movement of the electrode16, but this movement may be attained in any way.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. An internal-combustionengine, having an electrical igniting device comprisin an electriccircuit including a generator, a fixed electrode of the circuit, whichextends into the c0mbustion-chamber of the engine, and I a movableelectrode of the circuit which also I extends into the said chamber andmay be I I I moved into and out of contact with the fixed electrode, aspring which breaks the contact between the electrodes, a stop whichlimits the outward movement of the movable elec trode, and means formoving the said electrode into contact for closing the circuit, saidmeans consisting of the cam-shaft 3, the eccentric 28 thereon, theeccentric-rod 27 and its yoke, the link 30, to which said rod ispivoted, the trip 26 on said rod, the rocker 23, having an operating-armin position to be engaged by said trip, anarm" 25.,and a cushion-spring23 so dis osed as to impinge on the said movable e ectrode. l

2. In an internal-combustion engine having a combustion chamber, thecombination with an. electrode extending within said chamber, a bushingin a wall of said chamber, a nut at the outer end of said bushing, a Isecond electrode passing through said bushl ing and nut, saidsecondelectrode having a I shoulder located between said nut and thecombustion-chan1ber and ada ted to bear against said nut, and means fhrintermit- 3. In an internal-combustion engine hav ing acombustion-chamber, the combination I with an electrode extending Withinsaid chamber, a bushing in a wall of said chamher having a housing-cupat its outer end, a nut also at the outenend of said bushing, a

19 being the rocker-arm when the The movement, 4

I tently bringing the said electrodes into contact.

$49,769 is v ing and 'nufi, said secqnd lectrbde' hairil'igh Iwitnesswheteof I have hereunto signed shouldeii adaptedto-bearagain'sbthainside of I my-mm this 10th day of August; 1904, in said nut,a second hQusing-cup siituegit'o the the" preseiiqgoftwo subscribingwitnesses.

OIitBLGD d-Qf said'sfggiond eleotroglqaflprin I FRANCIS W. BRADY. 5interposed betweii isaidhousing-cups an ..}:Witns'sej$: xz neans forintermittently moving said second YHENRY CONNE'IT, 1 electrode inwardly.BENJAMIN H.'HOLT.

